Ampules of this type are formed from an extremely thin glass, commonly known as onion-skin glass, and are well known in the art, as is the need to encapsulate such ampules within a material that is pervious to the liquid contained within the ampule, but, which is highly resistive to puncturing by shards of glass produced upon manual fracturing of the ampule. Fracturing of the ampule is required in order to permit dispersion of the inhalant into the encapsulating material for subsequent volatilization and inhalation by a person in need of a stimulant.
Prior proposals have been to provide a closed packet within which the ampule is confined, and within which the ampule is loosely movable, the packet being formed from a material such as a scrim of natural or synthetic fibers, which acts to contain the shards of glass produced upon fracturing of the ampule. A construction of this type is disclosed in Thrun U.S. Pat. No. 3,881,634 issued May 6, 1975.
Other proposals, such as in Brown U.S. Pat. No. 4,342,395, issue Aug. 3, 1982, Fonda U.S. Pat. No. 2,395,109, issued Feb. 19, 1946 and Bishop U.S. Pat. No. 2,546,848 issued Aug. 3, 1982, have required the encapsulation of the ampule within a sleeve or tube that is formed from a material substantially impervious to the glass shards, and which on the other hand will provide for absorption of the inhalant liquid for its subsequent volatilization as an inhalant. Brown teaches an ampule that is closely embraced within a packet of absorbent scrim material, and which immobilizes the ampule within the packet prior to fracturing of the ampule.
Proceeding from Thrun and Brown, it is at the time that the ampule is fractured that the major problem with such inhalant dispensers occurs. Upon fracturing of the glass ampule, the wall of the ampule disintegrates into shards of glass, which are free to move in an entirely random manner within the cavity in the packet. Orientation of the glass shards perpendicular to the inner wall of the packet can occur, in which position the shards act substantially in the manner of razor blades, and are capable of cutting through the material forming the packet, with the result of embedment of the ends of the glass shards into the finger tips of the user, and cutting of the users' finger tips. If the cuts become dampened or saturated with the ammonia liquid, this can enter the cuts and cause severe discomfort to the user.